My Introduction into the LGBTA+ Community
This came to me while in the shower. I nearly forgot about it but now I can’t forget it and I think it’s important.
Back when I was a small eighth grader, my Christian school asked me to go to a local fair and hold a book reading for kids. I was super excited and said yes right away. I got there, read a book or two, then I had a half hour break. I walked around and saw a sign that said ‘ART!!! X% OF PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITIES TO HELP LGBTA+ MINORS!!“. I don’t remember the exact percentage, but I remember thinking "Art??? I love art!!”
I walked over to the tent where there were two people. One girl with dark purple hair, and another 'girl’ (in quotes for a reason) who had a shaved head. They were in highschool and I was terrified… They were the big kids at a PUBLIC SCHOOL!!! I asked them what lgbta+ meant because I wanted to know where my money was going.
They said “Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transexuals, ace/aro, and others!” And I’m like??? There’s more than just gay??
They laughed and said yes, asked me my orientation (straight then) and introduced themselves. (I’ll use their traits as names) Purple was a girl, and pansexual, which she explained meant she could love anyone no matter what. (Anyone? I asked. Yep! She said smiling. I just care if you’re kind). She has a girlfriend who was a lesbian.
Artist (the persons who art was being sold) was nonbinary and bisexual. They explained what they meant, and how bi was different from pan. But I was confused about nombinary. I told them I didn’t understand how you could be nothing! They smiled softly and told me this.
“It’s okay if you don’t understand! It can be confusing. All the matters is that you’ll treat me like everyone else.”
We talked until I had to go back, but on all my breaks I went back to them. I told them how my mom was at my stand and wouldn’t be happy if she knew I was there. They told me about highschool and art and lgbta+. I ended up buying two pieces from her. One I’m not a huge fan of bc I grew out of the style but the other I still have hanging up after almost five years.
At some point, I had to leave. They hugged me, wished me luck in life, and we parted ways.
I was packing up when I saw a huge floppy sunhat come into my tent. It was Purple and Artist, who got a huge hat so my mom wouldn’t see their “boy hair cut”. They said hello, pretended not to know me, but slipped me a slip of paper, smiled, and walked away. I opened it to see a drawing of a hotdog Artist drew me (I let calling every dog a hot dog because it was very hot outside). On the bottom was a small heart.
This is so important to me. Those people could’ve easily brushed me off as just a kid who is sheltered and bigoted. But they didn’t. They took me in for the day and (most likely painfully for them) explained everything and answered all my questions. I don’t think I’d be on terms with my sexuality without them.
Long story short, always be nice. Have patience, be kind, and never get short with kids, teens, or even adults who just want to learn or are under informed. Or even if they don’t understand some things, like how I was at first with nonbinary.
Always be patient, always be kind. Anything you say or do can impact someone forever.
snowghoul
tangentwithtanner
romaincrisis
dededos
stormborns
baratheonpilled
annaxmalina
ellievsbear
izzy806
